Chapter 333

Our march north to Morharst began immediately. I would have liked everyone back on Earth to join us, but not having the mirror artifact made that impossible. Kiere's teleportation also didn't go between worlds, and since it wasn't able to transport a large number of people at a time, moving on foot was the only choice.

To get to Morharst, we needed to pass through the Fiora Plains. The last time I came through these rolling grasslands was when we were searching for the elusive Chronomancer. Having her help would be a big boon, but I highly doubted our capacity to find her again.

One day into the journey, it quickly became apparent that we weren't prepared at all. As succubi, we were able to feed on the dark elves. Mio and I fed plenty on Kana. However, the dark elves needed to sustenance themselves. We didn't carry many provisions to begin with. Most of the food came in through trade at the port, and that was miles away now.

Weary dark elves declined sex not because they were tired of it, but because no one could spare their energy to a succubus. Which meant succubi were going to starve soon after.

"Saeko, we should rest. Send out some hunters to bring back some game. We won't make it to Morharst, let alone be able to fight after getting there," Elendir reasoned.

"Good idea." I nodded, feeling tired myself.

"I need three hunting parties, and a succubus to accompany each of them!" Shayle shouted as she personally selected hunters.

Small groups and cliques formed right away when campfires lit up. They were all a surprising mix of dark elves and succubi. Not one race really kept their distance from the other. Years of fighting in a war together and having so much sex really did bring people together.

Sharp whistling pierced the air, followed by animalistic whooping. They came from all directions. Dark elves quickly armed themselves and readied magical spells. Succubi flew into the sky to locate the source of the noises.

"Saeko, behind me!" Erma put herself in front of me and Kana.

"No one attacks unless I say so!" I shouted.

"Oh, god… I'm oddly aroused by the catgirl, but scared at the same time!" Kana trembled behind me.

The tall grass wall before me rustled. A single beastkin woman in a feline tiki mask emerged.

"Queen Saeko?" She took her mask off, and I recognized the beastkin immediately.

A scar from between her eyes and down to the right side of her cheek. Bright silver eyes that glint like the stars. Curly hair woven in thick dreads like powerful whips. Her cat ears twitched and faced my way.

"Dolanna!" I gasped.

"It really is you!" Chief Dolanna took her mask off but looked past me. "The last time we met, you were with a significantly smaller group. This looks like a war party to me."

"Believe me, we're going to war. Just not with your people. We're headed for Morharst to stop a group of dark elves from reviving the Demon King. Kind of…" I explained, much to her confusion.

"I feel faint. This is so much to take in all of a sudden. The Demon King?" She staked her spear into the ground and leaned against it.

Now that we established neither side had any intentions of hostilities against each other, the others and I were able to explain more properly. Understandably, that didn't make Chief Dolanna any less confused. She invited us back to her camp after our hunters returned. Wary beastkins watched dark elves and succubi cautiously.

Elder Shuwa was still around, too. The old beastkin woman who tempered tensions last time came to do so again by breaking bread with us. Since our hunters had caught some game, sharing it with the tribe made them a lot more welcoming. It also helped that they knew me from before, too.

"Whew! This jungle juice is great! Seconds, please!" Mio exclaimed after chugging a cup of alcohol.

"So, the Demon King may return? This is terrible news indeed. The last time his armies came through Fiora and Emerald Dardaria, they left a path of destruction that took years for the wilderness to recover," Elder Shuwa explained.

"I don't know much about the war. The Demon King was repelled from here, right?" I asked.

"Oh, it was a resounding defeat," Elendir answered nostalgically.

"Indeed." She nodded. "Before the Demon King, every beastkin tribe in the world was out for themselves. We killed and maimed each other for thousands of years. His conquest birthed our greatest hero ever, Kiara the Pridemother, who united all of us through sheer might under a single banner. Thanks to her, we were able to send him running with his tail tucked between his legs."

"Don't suppose she can rally a force to do it again?" I gulped hard.

"It would be far too late by then," Dolanna said.

Those of us around the fire to hear sulked. But that was for the best. On top of the light elves, the last thing I needed was another faction that wanted the Demon King's head. Nyra's head.

"The Pridemother might not be here, but we are of her banner. Dola, you will join Queen Saeko and aid in this battle," Elder Shuwa instructed.

"I— What?" Dolanna's jaw dropped.

"The Demon King threatens us all. We would be remiss to let his return doom this world. You will maul in the Pridemother's place. Or are you too weak to lead your tribe into war?" she asked.

Some of the tribe members who overheard paused and stared our way. The beastkin chief finally reacted from the insult. She jumped to her feet, fire in her eyes, and looking more lion than cat.

"I'll go! I'll prove my strength by soaking my claws in demon blood, so there will never have been any doubt. Which of my warriors will shed their blood with me?" Dolanna roared.

The entire tribe bellowed back. They sounded like wild animals driven up in a frenzy. It even put some of the dark elves and succubi on edge. Trauma from war, I imagined.

Chief Dolanna couldn't bring everyone from her tribe and risk their lives. She handpicked her strongest and most capable warriors, which amounted to a fourth of the tribe. 55 beastkins in total. The rest stayed behind.

We ate our fill around the fires while the war party hugged their loved ones and said their goodbyes. Just like that, my army gained a significant number of fighters and a beastkin chief. Our force set off without delay once we acquired provisions. Many of the beastkins of Dolanna's tribe rode on a beast called katrice, which were miniature versions of cockatrices bred to be less aggressive and serve as mounts. But just like last time, the chief herself elected to travel by foot instead.

"You didn't hesitate to join us after Shuwa called you weak," I teased.

"Well, we are a people that values strength above all. Just the very rumor that I might be weak is open season for everyone to challenge me for chief. But I'm not complaining. I get to fight to my hearts content and make the Pridemother proud!" Chief Dolanna pounded her chest and grinned.

Well, at least someone was seeing the silver lining in this.

The march to Morharst took two days. We only had a few breaks in between. Dolanna and her beastkin tribe didn't need it, but stopped for our sake. They could have run all the way to Morharst without us.

Eventually, rolling prairies gave way to dry and crusted ground. The soil was so devoid of moisture, we might as well be walking on rock. Enormous jagged crimson canyons loomed over us. Blue skies darkened with swirling clouds. Scorching winds wicked the sweat right from my skin. It smelled intensely of smoke and sulphur. I'd be a lot healthier standing next to a crowd of chain smokers for a day and breathing in their fumes.

Elendir led us through a narrow pass between two cliff faces which served as the entryway into Morharst. So far so good. Nothing attacked us yet, and there weren't any signs of Shades. It wouldn't surprise me if danger was lurking close though.

"Hey, Kana." I flew up next to him marching beside two curious beastkin asking him about Earth. "I'd still feel a lot better if you stayed behind. It isn't too late."

"Nu uh. Nyra came into my life, too, and she's the little sister I've never had. We are going to get her back together. I won't do anything reckless, I promise. But I do want to be here to help rescue her. I also have to look good, because how else am I going to prove I'm husband and father material?" Kana explained.

I pushed my hand into his face. What an embarrassing thing to say. Still…

"When we get back to Earth." I leaned in close and lowered my voice to a whisper. "I'm going to ride you until your knees turn to jello. I'll even let you have sex with Elendir if she's okay with it."

Kana stiffened up. Something between his legs must have, too, because he started walking a lot more awkwardly.

The ground rumbled, but the source wasn't coming from the ground. 

"Above us! In the canyons!" Erma warned.

Giant boulders rolled off the ledge and barreled down towards the army. There wasn't any cover to take. Everyone was going to get flattened like a pancake, but not today.

Dark elven mages under Queen Elendir's command channeled their magic together, creating a forcefield to shield the falling rocks. They impacted the barriers with a loud crash. Some elves winced, falling to their knees as though hit by the sheer weight of it. Fortunately, their shields and magic held. The boulders dropped harmlessly to the side and rolled to a stop.

Now, it was our turn.

"Succubi, with me!" I shouted, but no one raised their voices like I was expecting.

"Time to fuck some misbehaving dark elves!" Mio boomed and earned a resounding warcry in return.

Dark elves, who must be Shades, were casting spells and conjuring the giant boulders that were plummeting down to my army. The nearest one saw me and clicked her tongue. She turned her hand to me and fired a shot. I dodged it easily and swooped down to slug her across the face, causing her to crumple to the ground.

The succubi who followed my lead descended on the enemy dark elves, but their magic was a lot stronger than ours. They retaliated with volleys of spells that scattered us from the skies. Mio closed ranks with me, and several succubi erected magical barriers to protect us.

From the corner of my vision, I noticed someone— many someones scaling the cliffside. The beastkins. With Chief Dolanna at the head, they climbed like ants up the cliff. As soon as they reached the top, they mauled the dark elves like wild animals. The spellfire ceased, and we were able to join the fight in dispatching the remaining Shades.

Defeated, they were open season for succubi to feast on them. Elendir didn't seem to mind one bit for these dark elves and seemed to delight in seeing them drained unconscious. Mio had one for herself, eating out one's pussy until she orgasmed and passed out.

"Mmm!" Mio wiped the juices from her chin after finishing. "Feels great to feed on a beaten foe. Get over here and taste this pussy, Saeko!"

"You drained her dry! I'll save my appetite for Elendir, Kana, and Erma later. We should question one of them, but… can you all not drain them unconscious?!" I groaned, watching the succubi overfeed.

"R-Right here, Queen Saeko!" A particularly young-looking succubus with pigtails waved to me.

Mio and I raced over to find that the dark elf hadn't been drained yet. Instead, she was hogtied and left on the ground. A face of contempt stared back up at us.

"Start talking. Where is Maenyssa? Where did she take Nyra?" I grabbed her by the collar and exerted my aura to envelop her.

"I… It's… at…" The dark elf tried to resist my charm and failed. "The Demon King's palace. It is there, where we hope to remind her who she used to be, and exact a ritual to restore all her memories. You should be joining us and rejoicing. The Demon King will return!"

Elendir levitated to the top, fury washed over her demeanor. "Foolish. The Demon King never cared about us. He sought only power for himself. We were all disposable pawns. Now, you Shades have made Nyra a pawn. For what? To reignite a war no one wants? That had costed the lives of so many loved ones?"

"Elendir…" I hadn't realized she was still hurting from the war. But just giving it even the smallest of thought, I should have known this wasn't something one just got over. She led her people to the Demon King's side, and that sin would always hang over her. All this time, she held that pain close to her chest.

"Oh, Queen Elendir. Did you believe we only followed you because you guided us into his embrace? There were many, myself included, who saw this as the perfect opportunity for a change in leadership. From you, from those arrogant elves in the City of Everlight. We never cared about you at all. You were just a means to serve a better ruler!" She laughed.

I snapped my fingers and forced her to fall asleep. The laughter stopped, but the damage had been done. Hurt, Elendir balled up both hands into fists and sighed.

"Don't listen to her." I rubbed Elendir's back. "There are dark elves all over the place who look up to you. Shayle, the ones back on Earth, Oakfall. The Shades are just unhinged lunatics."

"Thank you." Elendir grabbed my hand and smiled softly.

With some new charmed dark elves under our command, we pressed on into Morharst. The wasteland was a miserable trek, but made easier thanks to the beastkins providing us provisions for the journey. Monster and demon attacks were common, strays that pledged to no master except their own instincts.

However, they were starting to wear us down. Morharst was full of them, and we had to stay on the lookout constantly. The Demon King's ruined iron fortress came into view. Its dreadful spires had long since toppled on the ground. Many parts of the building were exposed. We could fly in there if we really wanted to. What was once a long and expansive fortification ramparts around the palace we marked with holes from past sieges and disrepair. Undamaged sections had poles speared with skeletons and skulls on them.

I was reminded of the palace back in the City of Everlight which housed the royal family. This appeared like a darker counterpart, oozing with foul magical energies that scratched at my aura and a past that should be left forgotten.

Exhausted from fighting day and night, the army decided to stop and rest for the afternoon. We set up camp and sent a few scouts to investigate viable entrances.

"God, I'm pooped!" Mio plopped down on a rock underneath some shade. "My wings are sore from flying all day. Kanaaaaa, come hug me~"

"Here's some water instead." Kana handed her a canteen only to get pulled into her arms.

"It must have been a terrifying battle back then. I can't imagine what light elven soldiers were thinking marching up to the walls," Erma muttered under her breath.

"We'll make sure history doesn't repeat itself. Until then… I could use a snack before battle." I stroked her firm athletic cheeks from behind.

"M-Master… people are watching…" She trembled to my touch.

Before we could get started, a dust storm kicked up from the direction of the Demon King's palace. An unnaturally violent tornado made a beeline toward us and threatened to sweep everything into the air. Some succubi struggled to keep flight, and the stronger ones had to hold them back from being sucked in.

Elendir raced past us, her staff glowing with powerful magic.

"My queen!" Shayle gasped.

"They undoubtedly conjured this to repel us! Retreat… I'll hold this back for as long as I'm able!" Elendir shouted.

A strong shockwave rippled outward as Elendir stopped the tornado in its tracks. She battled its strength and dug her heels into the ground, struggling to keep up her magic. Our forces made for higher ground, but Mio, Shayle, and I backed Elendir up by lending her our own magic. Dark elves who had an affinity for magic fell into formation beside us. Even then, it still wasn't enough.

"It's no use, Saeko… Get the others and escape!" Elendir implored.

"If we didn't leave you to deal with the avalanche on your own, what makes you think we'll leave you again here?" I asked.

A portal suddenly opened in front of us. I thought it was Maenyssa coming to attack until a prosthetic leg stepped out first. Tirnicia emerged from the portal, flanked by Kiere, Inest, and more dark elves from Oakfall.

"Tirnicia!" Elendir gasped.

"Looks like we spent all our luck coming in the nick of time. All spellcasters, aid in repelling the tornado!" Tirnicia ordered.

Forty dark elven veterans lent their magic, and our combined might repelled the tornado. It dissipated in a gust of harmless wind blowing past us. Elendir stared in disbelief as Oakfall dark elves continued to pour out in droves, totalling maybe over a hundred strong.

"You actually came to help!" Elendir couldn't help but shed a tear.

"Of course, we did. We're repaying the favor. For Queen Elendir and Queen Saeko!" Tirnicia raised her sword, causing everyone to roar back in response.